Hudson Council Weighs Golf Cart Rules, Sidewalk Waits and Extra Cash

Hudson City Council covered a packed agenda during its Aug. 25 workshop, from a debate over golf carts on city streets to a years long sidewalk wait list and a proposed settlement in a major zoning lawsuit. Council also previewed several items headed to next week's regular meeting. Extra General Fund Cash Gets a Plan City Manager Thomas Sheridan and Finance Director Jeff Knoblauch walked council through a recommended plan for spending roughly $2.45 million in excess general fund carryover from last year. Staff proposed setting aside $500,000 for an expected third quarter budget appropriation and $650,000 to relocate the city's salt barn, which sits on land staff hopes to make ready for development by 2028. Another $350,000 would cover an anticipated cost increase, estimated around 20%, tied to new safety requirements for the city's ongoing Velocity fiber to the home broadband buildout. Bids for that work are expected in September. The remaining balance, originally proposed at $950,000, would carry over for future stormwater projects tied to ongoing Brandywine Creek and Tinkers Creek watershed studies. Council ultimately agreed to redirect $300,000 of that stormwater balance toward designing a long requested sidewalk project on Barlow Road, a change pushed by Council Member Dan White. City Engineer Brad Kosco said splitting the project into construction phases later would add cost, but the full corridor could still be designed at once. Sheridan noted the leftover balance reflects strong finances rather than a problem. "It's actually to no other city. This is a great thing," he told council. Council also learned that income tax revenue lost after a major retailer's closure has roughly leveled off, aided by growth from other businesses and an estimated 450 jobs tied to local expansions. Sidewalk Wait List Frustrates Council Council President Michael Bird asked staff to revisit the scoring system used to rank future sidewalk projects, first developed several years ago and last updated with public input gathered between February and September 2024. The full list of unfunded sidewalk segments totals about $29 million, and the city typically budgets around $4 million a year for the work, meaning it could take roughly seven years to reach the bottom of the current list. Bird noted that segments ranked eighth through 17th all carry nearly identical scores, making it hard to prioritize among them. "It's very frustrating for those residents who are near the bottom of the list," Bird said, pointing to families with young children waiting for safer routes. Staff agreed to test adding a dedicated safety score to the ranking matrix and to explore using GIS or AI tools to refine how projects are weighed. Council also discussed the city's existing special assessment process, which lets a small group of residents petition to fund a project sooner through added property taxes. Mayor Jeffrey Anzevino said he remains cautious about that option given how much the city has already invested in sidewalks elsewhere. Sheridan agreed to bring updated ranking scenarios back to council within a few weeks, ahead of budget season. Golf Carts and Speed Limits Spark Debate Council spent significant time on proposed changes to Chapter 478, the city's ordinance governing low speed and under speed vehicles, ahead of a scheduled third reading Sept. 1. Council Member Skylar Sutton's amendment would swap a sticker requirement for a visible safety inspection sticker on the vehicle, though Police Chief Perry Tabak said he still favors separate stickers for low speed vehicles, capped at 25 mph, and slower under speed vehicles limited to neighborhood streets. Much of the discussion centered on whether these vehicles should be allowed extended travel on 35 mph roads to reach destinations such as downtown, or limited to brief crossings. Council Member Samantha D'Eramo raised concerns about speed differences between vehicles causing traffic and safety issues, a point Tabak echoed. "That differential in speed can be not only a traffic issue but a big safety issue," D'Eramo said. Sutton countered that a records request turned up no police reports involving these vehicles in the past year. "This is much ado about nothing," he said, adding that only 12 such vehicles are currently registered in the city. Tabak said the goal is to act before problems occur rather than after. Several members floated a compromise allowing brief travel on higher speed roads to connect to slower streets. Sheridan offered to map problem intersections before next week's vote, and Anzevino noted council could postpone the reading if members want more time. Other Items Headed to Council Council previewed several additional items for its Sept. 1 meeting. An ordinance updating horizontal directional drilling standards for infrastructure work is up for a second reading, following resident frustration over delayed fiber construction and concerns about drilling issues reported in Twinsbur